Hanasaku Iroha – The Place That Blooms Someday Chapter 1 Primordia 1

Chapter 1: The Winter Days Before The Flower Blossoms

Primordia 1: It's Winter, I'm Twenty, and I'm Waiting for Spring

TLed by: TanoshiKara

Note: Raws do not have a name for sub-chapters; ‘Primordia’ has been added for clarity.

Twenty years after Ayato Matsumae's death, the day of the retrospective exhibition.

The clock tower played the sound of chiming bells at seven p.m., and it echoed down on the rambunctious city.

Ohana felt rushed by the chimes as she waited for the traffic light to turn green.

"I'm late, I'm late......"

The time for the opening had already come and gone.

With the information postcard in hand, she dashed across the crossing.

Entering a narrow alley after weaving through a crowd she was unaccustomed to, Ohana came to a stop before heaving a heavy sigh.

White puffs of air escaped from her mouth as she panted.

Standing in the corner of a sea of skyscrapers around two blocks away from the main street, she compared the building with the one on her map.

Walking further into the alley as she carefully scanned her surroundings, she turned and headed into another alley with an old brick building.

"Ginza Art Space...... This is the one......"

Murmuring the name of the building she had memorized despite herself, she brought her face closer to the signboard, handwritten in calligraphy ink, and stared at it.

The signboard, which had the seal of Uncle Hiroshi Matsumae, a Japanese painter, on it, had the words, 'Venue of Ayato Matsumae's Twentieth Death Anniversary,' written on it as if it were drawn like a piece of artwork.

"There are so many commemorative flowers as well......"

Vibrant flower stands lined both sides of the signboard.

It seems like the retrospective exhibition, which had received support from not only his old friends but conglomerates as well, was way more extravagant than Ohana had imagined.

"Dad's retrospective exhibition......"

What's more, it's the retrospective exhibition marking the twentieth anniversary, a defining milestone.

Even Ohana, who knew not of the value of art, reflexively exhaled in awe after sensing the feelings that Hiroshi had put into the ink-written words.

"It would be nice if Madam Manager could attend as well......"

Ohana had not given up even though Madam Manager had told her, beforehand, that she could not attend.

She took out her phone to have a look,  just in case, but Sui had not contacted her.

"Ah, it's from Mum. ......What does she mean by we'll be starting first?"

She tilted her head as she checked the message she had received from her mum, Satsuki.

She had supposedly rushed here, but right now, when the venue was right in front of her, she found it hard to step into it.

"Hmmmmm......"

Come to think of it, a venue like this one is a first for me.

As she wobbled several steps back, seemingly intimidated by the pressure, she bumped into someone who had approached her from behind before she had realized.

"S-Sorry! ......Kou-chan?"

Panicked, Ohana jumped out of the way, causing Kouichi to break into a bitter smile.

"......Sorry, did I make you wait?"

"Uh-Uh. That suit......"

Kouichi, in an unwrinkled dark blue suit, made Ohana feel like she had seen a side of him she had never seen before.

Ohana gazed at Kouichi's face, probably because it had been a long time since they had met in person.

"Ahh, this. I bought it for job hunting. There's also the explanation about the internship today, so I thought I'd wear it for the retrospective exhibition since it's a rare—"

Ohana was surprised to see Kouichi in a suit, but once he started talking, he was the usual Kouichi whom she was familiar with. Noticing the 'gap' between that and how he looked like an adult when he was silent, her shoulders shook as she burst into laughter while stifling her voice.

"......What's wrong?"

It was like him to ask without showing any signs of pouting.

"Nothing. This is the first time I've been to Dad's retrospective exhibition and......I got kinda nervous—. But I feel better after seeing Kou-chan"

"I see...... Well then, shall we go in?"

Kouichi broke into a smile and signaled to the narrow staircase that led to the underground venue with his gaze. Ohana nodded silently, and they went down the staircase together.

Opening the heavy door slowly, she could hear the lively and friendly chatter.

"......Eh?"

Along with the chatter came an aromatic smell that wafted over out of nowhere; A smell that did not suit the venue of a retrospective exhibition.

"Pizza......?"

The venue the two were about to enter was quite different from what they had imagined. There were small high tables around the venue, and the people chatting around them, with drinks and snacks in hand, stood out to the two. The atmosphere was like a chic party.

"......It's quite different from what I've imagined though......"

"Feels more like a reunion party than a twentieth death anniversary retrospective exhibition, huh"

It was as Kouichi had said. Of course, there were many photos displayed on panels, but it felt more like a reunion than a retrospective exhibition.

Taking off her coat, Ohana slowly walked around the venue. Glancing around, she was dumbfounded by the people who attended.

"The people who attended are all about the same age as my dad, huh. A reunion—come to think of it, Iwasaki-san and Seya-san did say that......"

"So your father was part of high society, huh—what they call an industry player?" Kouichi muttered, seemingly impressed, as he repeatedly compared his brand-new interview suit to the well-used jackets of the gentlemen there.

"The industry aside, I guess they call this artistic sense? Everyone looks stylish. It's different from what I imagined, but everyone seems to be enjoying it......"

The proposers of the retrospective exhibition, Iwasaki and Seya, had probably reached out to them. There were also her father's old friends she remembered seeing during his seventeenth death anniversary.

She was shocked that it had the atmosphere of a party, but she got the feeling, when she looked around after calming down, that this, in its own way, felt like her father's retrospective exhibition.

Iwasaki and Seya, who had deeper ties to her deceased father than Ohana herself, would know a lot more about him.

Feeling that she had, once again, learnt about a side of her father she had not known previously, Ohana gazed at the people who had come to the venue.

"For now, let me snap—"

"......Oh! She's here, she's here"

"You're late Ohana"

Satsuki's voice echoed from the back of the venue, just as Ohana had collected herself and wanted to take a look at the panels around the venue.

"......Huh?"

Appearing from among the crowd, Satsuki waved energetically and had a bottle of beer in her other hand.

"Hey, over here, over here. ......Ah, hello. This is my daughter and her boyfriend"

Satsuki, slightly drunk, led Ohana and Kouichi to the back of the venue and introduced them to the various people who were at the table.

"Nice to meet you, I am Kouichi Tanemura," Kouichi said after he was introduced by Satsuki, before bowing deeply.

"Long time no see Iwasaki-san and Seya-san. Uncle Hiroshi as w—"

"We've been waiting, Ohana-chan. Nice to meet you too, Kouichi-kun"

Iwasaki-san and Seya-san, the proposers of the retrospective exhibition, welcomed Ohana and Kouichi with gentle smiles.

"That's right, I shall hand you my name card while I introduce myself," Iwasaki, who had his long gray hair bundled at the back of his head, said as he took out a name card holder from his jacket pocket.

Seya did the same, looking for his in the chest pocket of his navy blue suit.

"Ah, I am still a student, so I do not have a name card......"

"I know, I know. No need for proper etiquette, please take it"

Ohana hurriedly took the name card that Iwasaki-san held out.

Before she could read the words on it, a tanned, outstretched hand had placed Seya's name card over it.

"Here, Mr. Boyfriend should take the name card as well"

"There's no harm in having the name card of a popular figure in the industry"

"O-Okay!"

Taking the name cards after Satsuki urged him to, Kouichi gazed at them, seemingly moved.

"A photographer and an illustrator......"

"Iwasaki-san and Seya-san are Dad's co-workers who were especially close with him. They are also the proposers of the retrospective exhibition," Ohana explained as she pointed to the character drawn on Seya's name card.

As if he recalled something, Kouichi lifted his head. Feeling his gaze, Seya smiled awkwardly. He then waved his hand before his face.

"It's not that big of a deal. Well, feel free to contact me if you need something"

"I will. Erm......thank you very much for making this such a spectacular retrospective exhibition, even though both of you are busy......I think Dad would be pleased as well"

Hearing this, Iwasaki and Seya looked at each other before narrowing their eyes.

"......Yeah, I hope so"

"Twenty years went by while we were talking about doing this someday though"

As if he was influenced by Seya, Iwasaki smiled as well before they each tapped the other's back.

"......Is that so?"

"There was no one to take the lead twenty years ago. A mourning exhibition of this scale was something we could hardly—"

"However, twenty years later, and we now lack the time instead"

"Well, we knew we couldn't keep saying that, so we resolved ourselves to pull it off"

According to Satsuki, it seems the two of them, who were quite well-known in the industry, are so busy every day that they could faint.

"That's true, there was hardly any progress since two to three years ago, when we sorted the photos at the atelier,   till the start of this year, after all"

Even so, the fact that the two of them planned this retrospective exhibition proves that they truly cared for Ayato.

"Ohana-chan sure says some harsh things"

"Huh? Did I say something wrong?"

"Well, I guess we shouldn't use being busy as an excuse. ......Here, Ohana-chan," Iwasaki said as he smiled bitterly before holding out an empty glass to Ohana.

"Have one too, Mr. Boyfriend"

"Huh, erm......"

"You're no longer minors, right?"

Even as Seya asked to ascertain their age, he poured the beer from the bottle he had just opened into Ohana's glass.

"One for you as well, Kouichi-kun. Since that person would probably like it better if things are lively, let's offer up a drink to him"

Satsuki, with a satisfied smile, poured beer into Kouichi's glass before filling hers up as well.

"Drink up," Everyone said in unison after following Iwasaki and Seya, who raised their glasses into the air.

After this concluded, they looked around the venue once again.

With her eyes adapting to the dim lighting of the venue, Ohana was able to see that, starting from the entrance, there were many well-organized panels of various sizes.

"How are your father's photos?"

"I just arrived, but......I see that they are splendidly displayed"

After hearing Ohana's reply, Iwasaki looked towards the photos, narrowed his eyes nostalgically, and broke into a smile.

"It's the twentieth year of his passing. Even this is on the modest side"

"I sure want to pull off something grander next time. We should put up some works of our own as well," Iwasaki backchanneled as he stuffed his mouth full of a pizza and some of the fries, which came along with it.

"Yeah. Want a do-over of that joint exhibition thing we talked about back during our school days as well"

Seya reached out for a pizza as well, but upon realizing that a certain man in a suit was approaching, he hurriedly drank all of his beer.

"I apologize for interrupting your conversation. Seya-san, someone wants to consult you about the company logo matter, so could you come with me for just a—"

"I had no intention of working today, but I can't turn Chief Oosako down"

Seya, with a smile that showed he was not at all dissatisfied, was led away by the well-built man dressed in a suit.

"I will look around at the photos for a while then"

Coming along with Ohana, who had put her glass down as the conversation was cut short, were Kouichi and Uncle Hiroshi.

"I'm sorry. Since I can't talk to my cute niece unless there's an opportunity like this one, I feel bad for Mr. Boyfriend, but I'll be intruding"

"To say you are intruding is......" Kouichi said, jerking his head back from embarrassment after hearing Hiroshi's words.

The three of them chatted as they headed back to the entrance and stood at the start of the so-called recommended route.

"Whoaa......"

Along with the planned retrospective exhibition, all of the photos that were printed or in film form before were now framed or placed in panels and displayed in neat rows.

"How is it? They give off a different air now that they're framed, right?"

Ohana did help out with sorting the photos at Hiroshi's atelier, so she should have seen most of the photos once, but the photos on display, arranged by year, looked exceptionally vibrant and animated.

She gazed at each and every one of the photos, feeling as if she was looking at them for the first time.

"—Yes, they have this...... How do I put it...intensity to them, or rather......it's like I'm being pulled in by the scenery—"

"That's true. I felt that as well. ......It even made me think that I should make this scenery into an art piece," Hiroshi said, deeply moved, to which Ohana nodded silently.

They continued to walk leisurely from panel to panel.

All the photos she had seen once before, several years earlier, such as the printed wallet-sized photos and contact prints, packed a totally different punch when they were framed, as compared to the time when she had seen them through the magnifying glass of a film viewer.

"They sure look different now that they're in panels, huh......"

Ohana even felt as if the scent of the town was wafting over from the photos that captured Yunosagi's sights. 

Standing in front of a panel, she sniffed it; Feeling that she had caught a whiff of the scent which should not have been there, her eyes popped wide open.

"......So beautiful......"

Kissuisou, which had intentionally been captured in sepia, was breathtakingly beautiful. A waitress on her way to a guest room, the Bonboris that lined the town, and the three photos of the young Satsuki were among the many photos displayed in the 'Later Years' section.

"Mum's panel is on the small side, huh"

The panel with the three photos of Satsuki was around a quarter of those with scenic photos.

"I wanted a bigger one, but Satsuki-san wouldn't allow it, you see. Although now that I look at these, she sure looks like you, Ohana-chan"

"Is that......so?"

[I want to sparkle, or so Satsuki said]

Satsuki's words, which Denroku wrote down in one of the logs, came to Ohana's mind.

It looked to her that the once adolescent Satsuki in the framed photos was a bud that was trying to turn into a flower. It even looked to her that Satsuki was already sparkling.

"Even the process of trying to sparkle......is this beautiful, huh......" Ohana muttered the words that Ayato said to Satsuki, back when she was a high schooler, as he gave her these photos.

"I, too, think that she looks like you when you're festing up......"

"Kou-chan—"

The Ohana back then, who was frantically festing up, struggling, and writhing. This overlapped with the Satsuki in the photos, causing Ohana to exhale despite herself.

"It is as you've said, Dad......"

She could tell, from the vibrant photos, how her father viewed her mother that day. She nodded, deeply moved, before walking to the next panel.

As she thought back to those times sentimentally while looking at the panels, she eventually reached the ones with the lively streets of Tokyo, and Tokyo Tower, towering above the nightscape, but the location in the photos shifted back to Yunosagi before long.

"How did he take such photos?"

Although they were all places she had seen with her very own eyes, she felt that how they looked in her mind, and how they looked in the photos, were similar, but somehow different.

"......Ayato's photos have a story to each of them, you see"

"A story......"

"He was a younger brother whom I rarely spoke to when he was alive, but I feel like he is telling me about the tales that were woven in those lands even after twenty years had passed since his passing"

Scent where there should have been none; Sound where there should have been none. These might be what photos that bring out the passion in people are like.

While repeating Hiroshi's words in her head, she gazed at the panel once again.

—So this is the Yunosagi that Dad saw.

Ohana felt that she understood a little better after she had that thought in her mind.

As she nodded to herself, Kouichi, who had been silent up until now, struck up a conversation with Hiroshi.

"Is Uncle also well-versed with photos?"

"......Uncle Hiroshi is an artist. The words on the signboard today were masterfully written—"

Hiroshi cleared his throat softly when he heard Ohana explain before putting on his black glasses, which had shades of green, once again.

"The star today is your father, Ohana-chan. It's your father's big moment. Let's go around and look at the star's works. I would very much like you to look at the main panel, after all"

The main panel referred to the panel at the back of the art space.

Whether it was because the subjects of the photos were people, a rarity, or the size of the panel, the three of them gradually came to a stop.

"......This is...the Bonbori Festival......"

The panel, which had been spread out, had the Bonbori and a beautiful girl on display. A lot of space had been reserved for it so that the entire panel could be seen from afar. This panel, with its vibrant and dreamy hue that could clearly be seen from afar, had a different intensity from the other panels. 

Ohana's mouth was slightly agape from surprise as she looked up at it.

"What a beautiful person...... And this is a very big panel, huh. I think this has enough to fit the works of two people......"

"It is about two meters in length after all. It has intensity, right? Iwasaki-san had gone all out, saying that it is better if the main photo should be this huge and impactful"

Standing in front of the color panel that stretched all the way to the ceiling, Ohana felt as if she had wandered into a fantastical landscape. Perhaps it was because of the light that had been adjusted to display the panel at its most beautiful, as she saw the lit Bonboris swaying beautifully before her.

"But I didn't see this photo when I was sorting the photos at Uncle's atelier......"

"Yes. I sorted the photos again after the retrospective exhibition was confirmed. And I found this film, you see. It's a treasure"

"......True. I feel like I've seen the model of this photo somewhere—"

"This is Mariko Sakura, an actress! So he even worked with such a famous person!" Kouichi shouted in awe while Ohana was beside him, tilting her head, trying to remember who the model was.

"You're right, it's Mariko Sakura...... It's like a dream......"

Now that he said it, she felt like she understood why she felt that the panel was sparkling.

"I was surprised when I found this photo and the film. According to Satsuki-san, he told her that he snapped photos of a teenage model with an amazing aura while on a job for a travel magazine. It truly is worthy of being the main photo for this retrospective exhibition. It is the hot topic among most of the attendees, after all. ......Well then, I shall take my leave"

Hiroshi moved away from the panel after wrapping up the conversation.

Ohana gave him a short reply and focused on the photo. There was something in the hand that young Mariko held up.

"......It's a wishing plaque," She muttered as she imagined what lay beyond Mariko's gaze.

"The Sakura-san at that time...Is she perhaps playing the role of a young goddess......?"

The place the young goddess was heading to as she brought the wishes along with her—

"A festival that grants wishes, was it?"

"Yeap"

While backchanneling to Kouichi's question, she walked up to his side.

"What would Kou-chan wish for right now? Would it be about job hunting?"

She turned back as she talked and slowly observed the panel once again.

"Job hunting is something I have prepared with the intention of pulling it off on my own, so I'd wish for something else. What about you, Ohana?"

"Same as before, I think"

While sensing Kouichi's presence right behind her, Ohana stopped in front of a photo of Kissuisou.

"Kissuisou, huh...... I guess you have found something that has you this immersed"

The photo of Kissuisou was not that different from the one she remembered, so it was unbelievable that it was taken twenty years ago.

Ohana saw Sui, the former madam manager, and her grandmother, overlap with Kissuisou's dignified appearance, as it stood majestically amidst the greenery.

"Uh-huh...... Since I'm graduating from the technical school soon, I'm thinking of working at an inn or hotel to build up experience for now"

"......Does that mean you're not going to Yunosagi?"

"I was thinking about doing that at first, but Kissuisou is still closed, and I'd want to work at Kissuisou if I were to work in Yunosagi. So I'll aim to be like Sui Shijima for now"

Kouichi nodded silently as he looked, from the side, at Ohana, who replied while looking up at the panel.

"That's why I'm probably thinking about my next wish when I return to Yunosagi. ......Alright, Kou-chan's up next," Ohana said as she spun around and stared at Kouichi.

"Y-You don't have to know mine," Kouichi said, looking away reflexively as he covered his mouth with his arm.

He then focused his gaze on a family portrait with Ohana.

"You can't do that. Let me hear it"

"......I think I will...try to be a pillar who can support the family......That's why...I will always—" Kouichi mumbled, giving up after Ohana pulled his sleeve as he tried to move away.

However, just as Kouichi, even as he was stuttering, was about to put his resolve into words—

"Heeey, Ohana!"

Satsuki approached them with a glass of beer in hand.

"How was Ayato's photo exhibition?"

"It was very good. I don't know much about  Ohana's father and Yunosagi, so it was very eye-opening and......" Kouichi replied excitedly to which Ohana was ecstatic to see.

"How about you, Ohana?"

"Yeah, I'm glad I got to see it with Kou-chan"

Sensing Ohana's gaze, Kouichi locked eyes with her.

"Showing it off as usual, huh"

"I-It's not like......"

The two of them scurried away after Satsuki made fun of them.

Satsuki narrowed her eyes nostalgically as she stared at them, but she shifted her gaze to the panel all of a sudden.

"......Whoaa...... All things considered, this photo of hanging lanterns and a beautiful young girl sure leaves an impression. The aura is different, or should I say it looks divinely......" A slightly drunk salaryman in front of the panel said, impressed.

It was hard to tell if that was him muttering to himself or him voicing his thoughts.

"Ahh, that's Bonbori. The background is the Bonbori Festival held in my hometown"

Satsuki probably knew who he was as she walked up to the panel, beer in hand.

"If I'm not wrong, it's called Yunosagi Onsen"

"What kind of place is Yunosagi Onsen?" A well-built man who was near the salaryman asked. It was Oosako, the man who led Seya away earlier.

"It's a place with nothing but hot springs"

With Iwasaki, Seya, and even Hiroshi joining them, they started a mature conversation which Ohana overheard. 

"To think Ayato left such a photo. I wouldn't say it's nothing"

"Yeah. We should see it with our own eyes if it's a town he liked that much"

"How about holding an exhibition in Yunosagi? It'll be photos for Iwasaki and art pieces for me. We can display our works together in this fashion"

—An exhibition in Yunosagi......Sounds good.

It might be something he just thought about, but both of them had the experience of holding a retrospective exhibition. Ohana had a feeling that Iwasaki and Seya could pull it off.

"We should create some works with Yunosagi as a theme"

"Kissuisou is Satsuki's home, right?"

"Yeah, what about it......?" Satsuki replied to Seya's question hesitantly.

"Then wouldn't it be a good idea to use Kissuisou as a gallery?"

"......I don't know about that. It's not in business for now"

"Oh my, that's a shame"

"An exhibition, huh...... I think it's possible, but I wonder if there'd be any visitors who'd travel there for the exhibition," Satsuki continued as if she was muttering to herself, as she brought the glass of beer to her mouth, seemingly having changed her mind.

Just as Satsuki's mutterings were about to pull Ohana, who had expectations that were like those of a fleeting dream, back to reality—

A chilling wind blew in from the entrance, making it known that there was a new visitor.

The air of the venue, which had started to get even livelier, was clearly different from earlier. Furthermore, the movement of the people in the venue changed, and it looked like they were chasing after someone.

"I wonder what's happening......"

There's no mistaking that something happened, but it is definitely no crisis that requires an evacuation. In that case, what is this commotion about?

Trying to see what was going on, Ohana stretched her neck, but due to her height, she could not see anything as the panels and the sea of people were blocking her vision.

"It seems like they're coming over......"

Soon, the commotion got louder as the crowd got closer to Ohana, its shape changing, as if the people were trying to avoid someone. Appearing slowly from the crowd, who was starting to spread out, a person walked up to the panel of the Bonbori and the beautiful young girl.

"......Wha...... That person......" Ohana muttered, partly stunned by the woman in a pale coat and the tall man in a long, dark grey coat.

Ohana could not see the woman's face as she was wearing a wide-brimmed hat, but, perhaps due to her refined air, or perhaps due to the extraordinary aura she was emitting, she drew the attention of everyone in the venue.

"Ah, it's Mariko Sakura!" The people in the venue exclaimed one after the other after the woman left her coat with the receptionist, and took off her sunglasses.

Mariko Sakura, an actress, had entered the venue with her husband, Tetsuto Anjou, an actor who was as famous as her.

Oosako's well-built body trembled as he ran up to the two of them.

That was when a seemingly meticulous man, his suit a tight fit, entered a little while after the two of them did.

That bespectacled man, looking very much like a manager, walked up to Oosako, and eventually Iwasaki and Seya, and bowed slowly to them.

"......By Mariko Sakura, you mean the actress? The person in the panel's photo came in person?"

"You're kidding...... Is it true?"

The actress and actor's sudden visit had most of the attendees staring at them in disbelief.

"Thank you very much for coming despite your busy schedules"

"No, no, the pleasure is mine, thank you for displaying it in such a marvelous way......" Mariko replied as she shook her head.

Her wide-brimmed hat shook slightly, and a scent wafted over out of nowhere.

"This photo was from the very first job I got before my debut, and......I did not even know that the cameraman then - Matsumae-san - had passed away......I am thankful that you contacted me, Department Head Oosako"

"I thought that making it a huge panel without informing you would be bad, so I reached out to your agency through PR agency Department Head Oosako-san. And, being told that the person herself wanted to visit the retrospective exhibition......sure was a bit of a surprise, right?"

"Yes, yes...... He did quite a stella job if I do say so myself"

While Seya explained, Mariko gazed at Oosako warmly, causing him to curl up his huge body in embarrassment.

"Thank you very much for coming despite your busy schedule," He then said.

"......Erm, are you not the Japanese artist, Hiroshi Matsumae-sensei?" Mariko said while Seya was introducing every one of Ayato Matsumae's family members.

"So you were aware. It is an honor"

"No, no, the honor is mine to be able to meet you," Mariko said before she asked the smiling Hiroshi for a handshake.

After the introductions and greetings were done, Anjou, who had, perhaps out of consideration, stood a short distance away, returned to Mariko's side, and they looked up slowly at the photo of the Bonbori and the beautiful young girl. Due to his masculine looks, merely having a serious expression on his face made for the perfect photo.

There was a soft, audible sigh that came out of nowhere.

"I am happy just from the fact that it has been displayed like this. ......I guess it has already been twenty years. It is no wonder it took time for me to recall when I was contacted by Department Head Oosako"

"A little while after this photo was taken, I clinched the lead role in the audition for a morning drama......It was after that when I got busy," Mariko reminisced as she narrowed her eyes nostalgically.

"Say, what do you think about using this opportunity to display this photo at our agency?" Her manager asked.

"That is a good idea. Makes enlarging the photo as much as possible worthwhile," Iwasaki said, giving his immediate consent.

Mariko agreed to it as well before moving closer to the panel.

"............"

Mariko looked up at the panel with a mysterious expression, perhaps reminiscing about those days.

It was not like she was acting, but her actions attracted the attention of others, and before long, all of the conversation in the venue stopped.

Feeling like they should not be curious onlookers, the people who had stayed at the dining space gathered reservedly near the panel, and a crowd had formed in front of the Yunosagi Bonbori photo.

"A photo befitting of the catchphrase 'The Hot Spring Town that grants wishes.' It looks like Sakura-san's wish has been granted"

Mariko did not reply to Iwasaki's words; She, however, narrowed her eyes nostalgically, to which most of the people there focused their attention, and they listened carefully, interested in the words she was about to say next.

"That thing I had in my hand......a wishing plaque, was it?" Mariki asked.

"Yes. During the Bonbori Festival, as thanks for lighting the way with the Bonboris, the young goddess would grant the wishes written on the wishing plaques. ......It seems like that person wrote quite a lot as well," Satsuki replied.

"This pose, I wonder if it has the meaning of delivering the wishes to the heavens. It even looks like the Sakura-san in this photo is the young goddess. Perhaps it's due to the background blurred from the light from the Bonboris, but you look alluring despite being a young girl, and there is also this indescribable divinely feeling......" Iwasaki commented before sighing softly in awe.

"Can you remember how he took it?"

After hearing this question, Mariko knitted her eyebrows slightly before shifting her gaze to Iwasaki.

"Unfortunately, I cannot remember the details, but as I am looking at this photo, I do feel like I am close to remembering it" 

As if she were searching through her memories of that time, Mariko held her hand up and took the same pose as the one in the photo.

"I'll act as the cameraman. ......How is it? Was it like this?"

Noticing Mariko's pose, Iwasaki took a few steps back and formed a frame with his fingers.

"Yes, probably......"

"It looks like the moment when that mouth was about to say something"

"It was at that exact moment. I'm impressed that he could snap the photo at that time; I could hardly"

Iwasaki and Seya gave their thoughts after nodding to each other.

"That person is the type who snaps photos reflexively, after all"

Showing the subject in the moment where they shine most glamorously. This tendency is strikingly obvious in the portrait photos that Ayato took.

"Is it even possible to take such a vivid photo while surrounded by that many lights......"

The Mariko in the photo of Bonbori was not merely standing still, and she was not merely smiling as well. There was something that stirred the hearts of people; The feeling that a story might begin in the moment of stillness within the photo, which seemed like a cut-out of the then-present.

"Do you remember what you were about to say in that moment?" Anjou-san asked in a low voice as he gazed at the photo.

"Yes, that alone I was able to recall—" Mariko paused before exchanging looks with Anjou and smiling.

"How about it Sakura-san? Anjou-san and Mr. Manager as well," Oosako called out as he held up a bottle of champagne after securing a table.

"Is that alright?"

"Go ahead, go ahead. Please feel free Iwasaki-san, Seya-san, Matsumae-san, and the others too" Oosako's subordinate, who stood beside him, said cordially when Mariko looked towards them with a smile.

"Well then, we should join as well"

Ohana and Kouichi followed behind Iwasaki, Seya, Satsuki, and Hiroshi.

With Ohana and Kouichi joining them, they offered up a drink to Ayato, the people who were looking at Mariko from afar started to approach her, surrounding her.

Among the people who surrounded her were those who, thinking that they could not pass this chance up, audaciously held out their name cards. Despite that, Mariko took the name cards with a smile. She also clinked her champagne-filled glass with some of the others.

"This occasion is one she attended privately, so it is about time that she......"

Just as people who wanted her autograph started to show up, her manager, who had been silent up until now, got between her and the crowd and turned them down. 

When faced with the manager's forceful gaze, people started walking away from the table.

There were still people who gazed at her, unwilling to leave, to which Mariko smiled cordially at them before waving her hand and seeing them off.

"Sakura-san is a friendly person, huh"

"Yeah. I was surprised," Kouichi said in a low voice, to which Ohana nodded.

Beyond Ohana's gaze was Mariko, bringing the champagne, which had become much less bubbly, slowly to her mouth and drinking it before shifting the catalog that had been placed on the table before Ohana had realized, closer to her.

Mariko's slender finger gently flipped through the pages of the catalog. 

Ohana thought that this was like looking at a scene from a drama.

Unable to find any words to start the conversation, Ohana could only stare at Mariko's hand, but her eyes met with Mariko's when Mariko lifted her head. It then felt like something was stuck in her throat, and her voice would not come out.

"Ohana Matsumae-san—Ohana-chan...... I was a little younger than you when I did this job together with your father"

"......E-Erm, I......don't know...anything about my dad......"

Before she could finish, gloom had washed over Mariko, turning her expression sorrowful.

"That sure is a shame. ......However, your father has left behind a work this magnificent"

With a lonely smile, Mariko looked around the venue slowly.

"I had only worked with your father once, so I would not say that I know him quite well. Even so, I can tell you about what I remember through the photo"

Mariko shifted her gaze back to the catalog, and Ohana, as if she was guided by Mariko's gaze, gazed at the photos in the catalog.

"By working with your father, I, once again, became strongly aware of what my dream was"

"......Dream, you say......?" Ohana asked.

"Yes," Mariko replied as she met eyes with Ohana before nodding silently.

It was merely a simple action, but Ohana, in the moment when their eyes met, felt like she was pulled into Mariko's world of drama.

"Do you remember the conversation earlier? About what I wanted to say in that moment in the photo, that is"

"Yes. You said that that alone you were able to recall......"

"Your father only gave me one advice. With the wishing plaque in your hand, try saying something that you truly wanted to be granted, or so he said. It is because the wish I made that time had been granted that I can be who I am right now"

Mariko did not talk about why she had that wish, but Ohana thought that the drama spun by her every move conveyed it more eloquently than anything else.

"I had only worked with your father once, but he was a spectacular artist. I truly apologize for forgetting about him up until now"

Mariko moved her finger, which had light pink makeup, as if she were tracing Yunosagi and Kissuisou, eventually reaching the next page as she did that.

"......I felt it when I saw the photos after coming here today. I am certain that your father loved Yunosagi city and your mother deeply"

While gazing warmly at the photo of Satsuki, in her uniform, floating in the pool, Mariko gently closed the catalog.

"......Yes......" Ohana replied in a hoarse voice, the best she could muster after hearing Mariko's heartwarming words.

"Here, take this handkerchief"

"......Okay"

Ohana wiped her warm, unrelenting tears with the handkerchief Kouichi held out to her. However, no matter how she wiped, the tears that welled up in her eyes dampened her cheeks. She rubbed her eyes before wiping the tip of her nose strongly.

"My mum, too, surely—"

When Ohana looked at Satsuki reflexively, she had already emptied a bottle of champagne and was high.

—Huh? Isn't this where you should be feeling emotional!?

"It looks like she is ecstatic that this many people have gathered," Mariko said with a gentle smile after seeing that Ohana was stunned.

"Since it is an occasion like this, how about a commemorative photo?" PR Agency Department Head Oosako suggested as he held up his handphone, at a time when the alcohol made its way around while the cordial chatter continued, and the line between whether this was a retrospective exhibition or a reunion party blurred.

"Let us gather at that panel, everyone. I shall call my subordinate to take the photos"

That panel meant the huge panel of the Bonbori and the young beauty, which young Mariko Sakura was the subject.

"Can he take one with my phone as well?"

"Of course. Also, can I upload the photo on SNS?"

Mariko's manager scowled when he heard Oosako's subordinate utter the word 'SNS.'

"I am fine with it if it is a commemorative photo with everyone. I will also upload mine, so it is fine, right, Iida-san?" Mariko replied amicably, however.

Her manager, Iida, gave his approval reluctantly after seeing Mariko's beaming smile.

"Well then, would all of the organizers and family members come in front of the panel, and gather around Sakura-san and Anjou-san......Hey, Ohana-chan and Mr. Boyfriend should hurry along as well"

The people mentioned began moving as Oosako's subordinate had instructed; The other people, who noticed their movements, started to cause a stir.

"Hey, hey, what about us?"

"Is that only for people who are related to Ayato Matsumae?"

"I would like to take one as well"

The other people started gathering around the panel, some voicing their discontent, others their demands.

"What should we do, Oosako-san? We cannot fit this many people in one frame" 

Pressed, Oosako's subordinate, seemingly troubled, looked to Oosako for instructions.

"It is alright. Everyone just has to take turns to take one with us"

A roaring applause erupted in response to the famous actress's huge fanservice before Sakura-san and Anjou-san consented cordially, over and over again, to take photos.

The composition of every photo was the same, positioning the young Mariko in the panel at the center of the frame.

"She has always been a really beautiful person," Satsuki murmured from the bottom of her heart as she compared the Mariko, who was consenting to the photo-taking, to the Mariko within the panel.

"She has this aura that does not pale in comparison to this background, huh"

"......Still, this sure is a good photo"

Kouichi nodded silently after he heard Ohana's murmur.

"My image of Yunosagi is similar to this panel's"

The memories of Yunosagi that Ohana and Kouichi shared were indeed of the Bonbori scenery shown within the panel.

"Let's go again someday......"

While looking back nostalgically on the night of the Bonbori Festival, Ohana narrowed her eyes as she looked at the young girl with a wishing plaque in hand.

* * *

Greetings aside.

Sui Shijima-sama,

Have you been well? It's Ohana.

Dad's retrospective exhibition was a huge success.

The actress, Mariko Sakura, came as well, and she took a commemorative photo with all of us so I shall enclose it along with this letter. I will also send the catalog of Dad's photo exhibition.

With Kissuisou as its focus, there were many sceneries of Yunosagi, and although they should have all been photos I had never seen before, they felt nostalgic. I cannot express it well, but it was like everything in each and every photo of Yunosagi was alive.

I am eager to hear Madam Manager's stories during this period as well.

I think it would be wonderful if we could put the panel on display after getting it from Iwasaki-san and Seya-san when Kissuisou revives! I will ask them when that time comes.

I feel like I was able to learn about Dad's past accomplishments after hearing about old tales of Dad from the people who attended the retrospective exhibition, including Iwasaki-san and Seya-san.

Mum did share a little about Dad. Mariko Sakura-san also told me about Dad's work, and I was moved.

Also, this is the first time I heard that Madam Manager has a photo that Dad took! I would have loved to display it at the retrospective exhibition!

......But mentioning this in your latest letter means that you do not want it to be displayed, right? Please definitely show it to me the next time I come over.

Although it was a shame that Madam Manager could not make it, I really think that it would have been livelier if you had come.

Thank you very much for congratulating me on my graduation and job hunting. I think I was able to take a step towards Kissuisou's revival.

I will keep my mind focused and do my best.

Yours sincerely,

March 2015 Ohana Matsumae

* * *

Greetings aside.

Ohana Matsumae-sama,

As the snow melts, I was able to find some buds of the Fuki plant. Even as the winds are cold, spring seems to be around the corner.

Thank you for your thoughts on the retrospective exhibition. I could tell from the photo you have included that it was a cordial gathering, and for that I am elated.

However, even if it is a letter addressed to me, you are almost a working adult, so you should strive to have a slightly more composed writing style.

Furthermore, you, Ohana, should find something you want to do before thinking about Kissuisou. Since you will soon be a working adult and will head out into the world, I think you should be free and not be bound by anything.

Well then, photos of Yunosagi are displayed here as well, so the newspaper wrote about them. The photo of the Bonbori Festival's Bonboris, and the actress, Mariko Sakura-san has left such an impression that there is a cut-out of it displayed in Fukuya as well.

Yours sincerely,

March 2015 Sui Shijima

--------

Thank you very much for reading, I hope that you enjoyed the chapter!